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Android 3.0 Hardware Acceleration

android-developers.blogspot.com

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Re: Android 3.0 Hardware Acceleration

#21

Post by listic »

ZeroGravitas wrote: post #15
Lewisham wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had the same feeling. It's not just in the browser, it's throughout the whole experience, so the raster trick for zooming that's mentioned doesn't explain it completely. Google really needs to sort it out. It's a shonky user experience that really doesn't need it to be. I was certain that it was hardware acceleration that was missing, but obviously not. There was that bug ticket which indicated that Google thought…

Apple should really work on having its products displayed closer to the competition then, because this apparently glaring flaw hasn't stopped Android phones gaining popularity to thei point that they're outselling iPhones 4 to 1 in the US so perhaps Google's priorities aren't as messed up as you might think.

Citation needed. Please share the link to information indicating that Android phones are outselling iPhones 4 to 1 in the US.

Re: Android 3.0 Hardware Acceleration

#22

Post by refulgentis »

ekidd wrote: post #16
refulgentis wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's just an overall lack of attention to detail, compounded with the need for the OS to work on 1000 different kinds of hardware combinations. It's near impossible to describe without sounding whiny or silly, because it's death by 1000 stones, not one killer thing. Anecdotes: - Whilst using my Nexus S, it rings. I pull it out of my pocket, only to discover I can't answer it because there's a keyboard over the Answer…

Whilst using my Nexus S, it rings. I pull it out of my pocket, only to discover I can't answer it because there's a keyboard over the Answer/Decline buttons. Huh? I'm running Android Gingerbread on a Nexus One, and when the phone rings, I see the usual "unlock" screen, with one option for answering, and one for ignoring the call. There's no way to get a keyboard, no matter which buttons I press. Is your phone fully a…

Couldn't tell ya. :/ I'll have to test it and get back to you.

Re: Android 3.0 Hardware Acceleration

#23

Post by thingie »

Pewpewarrows wrote: post #17
Lewisham wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had the same feeling. It's not just in the browser, it's throughout the whole experience, so the raster trick for zooming that's mentioned doesn't explain it completely. Google really needs to sort it out. It's a shonky user experience that really doesn't need it to be. I was certain that it was hardware acceleration that was missing, but obviously not. There was that bug ticket which indicated that Google thought…

Yep. That's exactly why everyone I've ever talked to or come in contact with has an iPhone: the slightly more responsive scrolling behavior in browsers. Total deal-breaker. (Don't get me wrong, it's a valid criticism. But it's not even remotely close to the reason people choose an iPhone over an Android-based phone, or vis-versa).

It's much more like slightly more responsive behavior everywhere, not just browsers. I have bought cheap low-end Android handset, as I really didn't want to pay a hefty price for the iPhone (Europe, it's very expensive even with subscription, which is expensive as well), it was my first smartphone and I wasn't entirely convinced that I need or even want such a thing. I do, but overal sluggishness of the Android handset (even high-end models that I was able to try for a while did have some lags and weren't really what I expected) is very annoying. In fact, it's the primary reason why I'm now seriously thinking about getting the iPhone.

Re: Android 3.0 Hardware Acceleration

#24

Post by nuclear_eclipse »

ekidd wrote: post #16
refulgentis wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's just an overall lack of attention to detail, compounded with the need for the OS to work on 1000 different kinds of hardware combinations. It's near impossible to describe without sounding whiny or silly, because it's death by 1000 stones, not one killer thing. Anecdotes: - Whilst using my Nexus S, it rings. I pull it out of my pocket, only to discover I can't answer it because there's a keyboard over the Answer…

Whilst using my Nexus S, it rings. I pull it out of my pocket, only to discover I can't answer it because there's a keyboard over the Answer/Decline buttons. Huh? I'm running Android Gingerbread on a Nexus One, and when the phone rings, I see the usual "unlock" screen, with one option for answering, and one for ignoring the call. There's no way to get a keyboard, no matter which buttons I press. Is your phone fully a…

On any version of Android, dating back to the introduction of the virtual keyboard in version 1.6, long-pressing on the menu button will pop up the keyboard, which allows you to, for instance, bring up the keyboard in applications without needing a specific textbox to select. This allows you to have applications like ConnectBot, where the entire screen is a terminal emulator, and you can pop up the keyboard at any point and start typing without having to type into a textbox and then "send" the text to the terminal. On the home screen, you can bring up the keyboard and just start typing a search query without needing to press (or even have) the search button or widget.

And for the record, when the virtual keyboard is shown, pressing the back button will always dismiss it without sending the back action to the current activity, so in your case you could have pressed back to dismiss the keyboard, and then pressed the button to receive the call.

Re: Android 3.0 Hardware Acceleration

#25

Post by SeveredCross »

thingie wrote: post #23
Pewpewarrows wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. That's exactly why everyone I've ever talked to or come in contact with has an iPhone: the slightly more responsive scrolling behavior in browsers. Total deal-breaker. (Don't get me wrong, it's a valid criticism. But it's not even remotely close to the reason people choose an iPhone over an Android-based phone, or vis-versa).

It's much more like slightly more responsive behavior everywhere, not just browsers. I have bought cheap low-end Android handset, as I really didn't want to pay a hefty price for the iPhone (Europe, it's very expensive even with subscription, which is expensive as well), it was my first smartphone and I wasn't entirely convinced that I need or even want such a thing. I do, but overal sluggishness of the Android hands…

This matches my experience almost exactly. I wasn't sure that I needed a smartphone, so I got a low-end Android handset on Verizon (Droid Eris), and it's been an absolute piece of garbage, even with custom ROM (currently running a Gingerbread ROM based off CM7). The higher-end Android models I've played with have been better, but even my girlfriend's HTC Desire has boatloads of issues, and some of them are the same as the issues on my Eris (scroll lag, menu lag, poor input responsiveness across the board).

Google really needs to focus on Android's user experience if they want to be a serious competitor to Apple across all market segments[1]. That said, I doubt that Google is going to place a strong focus on fixing Android's UX issues, because it seems to me that Android is yet another platform to get more ads in front of more eyeballs, and if shoveling OS updates and cheap handsets out is the way to do it, then that's what they'll do.

[1]: While it's true that Android has the #1 market share right now, I doubt that it's because of Android's UX attracting the masses--I have a feeling that it's due to Android's low price and availability at said low prices in emerging markets with many fresh-faced consumers (China, India come to mind). I strongly suspect Apple still kicks Google's ass in the all-important sector of consumers with money to spend on phones and apps.

Re: Android 3.0 Hardware Acceleration

#27

Post by refulgentis »

nuclear_eclipse wrote: post #24
ekidd wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whilst using my Nexus S, it rings. I pull it out of my pocket, only to discover I can't answer it because there's a keyboard over the Answer/Decline buttons. Huh? I'm running Android Gingerbread on a Nexus One, and when the phone rings, I see the usual "unlock" screen, with one option for answering, and one for ignoring the call. There's no way to get a keyboard, no matter which buttons I press. Is your phone fully a…

On any version of Android, dating back to the introduction of the virtual keyboard in version 1.6, long-pressing on the menu button will pop up the keyboard, which allows you to, for instance, bring up the keyboard in applications without needing a specific textbox to select. This allows you to have applications like ConnectBot, where the entire screen is a terminal emulator, and you can pop up the keyboard at any po…

Exactly, completely understand where this is coming from - but why in the world is this a default!?

Re: Android 3.0 Hardware Acceleration

#28

Post by ZeroGravitas »

listic wrote: post #21
ZeroGravitas wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple should really work on having its products displayed closer to the competition then, because this apparently glaring flaw hasn't stopped Android phones gaining popularity to thei point that they're outselling iPhones 4 to 1 in the US so perhaps Google's priorities aren't as messed up as you might think.

Citation needed. Please share the link to information indicating that Android phones are outselling iPhones 4 to 1 in the US.

NPD smartphone sales stats for the US:

Quarter-Year: Android%/Apple% = ratio

Q2-2010: 33/22 = 1.5

Q3-2010: 44/23 = 1.91

Q4-2010: 53/19 = 2.8

You can find graphs from various sources that show a consistent trend for Android (i.e. the sales in the last month of Q4 are higher than the average and much higher than the sales in the first month) if that wasn't already obvious from the quarterly numbers.

My prediction for sales right now i.e. the month of March is about 60/15 but I guess we'll hear the Q1 numbers in a month or so and it'll be something like 3.5 overall.

edit: a final note, this isn't a prediction that Apple sales will fall, they'll certainly grow (though I think their U.S. marketshare just peaked) it's simply that Android's massive growth will expand the smartphone market and shrink their sales share.

Re: Android 3.0 Hardware Acceleration

#29

Post by pkulak »

ekidd wrote: post #16
refulgentis wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's just an overall lack of attention to detail, compounded with the need for the OS to work on 1000 different kinds of hardware combinations. It's near impossible to describe without sounding whiny or silly, because it's death by 1000 stones, not one killer thing. Anecdotes: - Whilst using my Nexus S, it rings. I pull it out of my pocket, only to discover I can't answer it because there's a keyboard over the Answer…

Whilst using my Nexus S, it rings. I pull it out of my pocket, only to discover I can't answer it because there's a keyboard over the Answer/Decline buttons. Huh? I'm running Android Gingerbread on a Nexus One, and when the phone rings, I see the usual "unlock" screen, with one option for answering, and one for ignoring the call. There's no way to get a keyboard, no matter which buttons I press. Is your phone fully a…

This has happened to me. I'm a geek, so I knew that hitting the back button would get rid of it, but come on. Anyone else in the world would have missed the call while starting at their phone and listening to it ring.
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